Shape-forming apparatus



Feb. 27, 11951 D. MARVOSH 2,543,184

SHAPE-FORMING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1944 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 50 fXJM J 2 7 W 9 44 9 I i ii 5 l LP? 5 57 f4? 5 1.] 2

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A TTO NEY Feb. 27 1951 D. MARVOSH 2,543,184

SHAPE-FORMING APPARATUS F iled Aug. 28, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ELI 5 5' Q4 INVENTOR A CL]? 177 111 051:1 fi 5' BY ATTO NEY Patented Feb. 27, 1951 SHAPE-FORBIING APPARATUS Dan Marvosh, Altadena, Calif, assignor to Murray-Lucy-Marvosh Company, Pasadena, Calif,

a partnership Application August 28, 1944, Serial No. 551,609

1 Claim. 1

This invention has to do with the development and production of three-dimensional shapes or contours from fiat drawings without the use of conventional templates and has for one of its principal objects the accomplishment of this purpose with a minimum of equipment and in a highly expeditious manner.

In the production of contours from fiat drawings, it is usually necessary to dress or finish the shape after it has been initially developed and in carrying out the dressing operation the surface of the shape is abraded and cut away to some extent, with the result that inaccuracies frequently result even after the shape in its rough surfaced state may accurately reflect the contour of the drawing. It is therefore a further object of my invention to provide, in the formed shape, adequate guide and reference indicia to be followed in the dressing operation and which positively safeguard against such inaccuracies.

Another object is the provision of a device of this character which utilizes but a single contour-communicating pin and which may be embodied in a simple, economical, unitary structure.

My invention possesses other objects and advantages but those will become apparent from the following description of several embodiments, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings. I wish it understood, however, that the invention is not to be confined to the specific structure now to be described, inasmuch as, within its broader scope as defined by the appended claim, it is capable of being carried out in other specific forms which the following explanation will suggest to those working in this art.

In the drawings Fig. l is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a modified form of the frame element of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sections taken, respectively, on lines 5, 66, and l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a modified form of device;

Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are fragmentary enlarged views showing the formation of a shape in Various stages; and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary front elevation showing another variational form of my invention.

With reference to the drawings, the numeral 5 denotes a base which preferably is of cast metal having a flat top face 5 presenting a longitudinal guide rib of V-cross section. A frame 8 having cross members 8a, 3b, may be formed integral with the base or may be attached thereto as by screws 9.

A carriage 20 rests on and is slidable along the top face 6 of the base, and has side extensions 2: presenting transverse V grooves to receive the uide rib i.

A plastic mass or master matrix 25, such as of plaster-of-Paris or any other suitable mate-- rial, is positioned on the carriage after its top face 25 has been roughly formed to the general contour of the desired finished shape. Here the mass 25 is roughly formed to provide an inwardly curved or concaved top surface 26.

A contour-translating pin 3t, having a pointed U bottom end 35 and an angularly disposed top end 32 terminating in a point 33 adapted to be brought into register with any desired contour line 35 of a loft or drawing 35, is mounted on the frame. The drawing may be secured to the frame portion Be as by clamps 35. The pin 36.

fricticnally passes through openings in guide brackets or collars 38, which latter are slidably mounted on the cross members 8b, 30, respectively. Consequently the pin is adjustable vertically as well as horizontally of the frame.

Scale indicia id is provided on the top surface of the base adjacent its side edge with which indicia a guide line H on one of the extensions 2| is adapted to register. The indicia M] are provided for coordinating the position of the carriage and its carried matrix with the contour lines 34 on the drawing 35.

In carrying out the operation of forming a contour or shape from a flat drawing I proceed as follows:

First, the plastic mass 25, whose top surface is roughly formed to the desired shape, is placed on the carriage and the drawing 35 is clamped on to the frame. Next, starting with the first or top loft line of the drawing, preferably at the left-hand end of the line, I adjust the pointed end 33 of the pin 3!] to register with the desired portion of the loft line, which operation in turn forces the lower pointed end 3! of the pin 35 into the mass 25 to the desired depth to form therein an indentation or recess 42. Next, the pin 38 is raised to free the point 3| from the mass and the brackets 38 are moved to the right along the cross members 817, 80 to the next station on the loft line being followed and the pin is then forced downwardly again until the point 33 registers with the new station on the loft line, which likewise causes the pointed end 3| of the pin to again pierce the plastic mass to the desired depth. This operation is repeated until the desired number of stations on the loft line have been thus communicated to the mass 25, after which the carriage is moved longitudinally of the body, by reference to the scale 4!], to the next position corresponding with the next loft line of the drawing and the above-described operation is repeated. This procedure is carried on until there is a row of indentations 42 in the mass 25 corresponding to each loft line 34 of the drawing. The mass 25 will then have in its top surface a plurality of recesses or indentations 42 whose depth and spacing accurately correspond to the contour of the loft line.

Next, I pour over the top surface 26 of the mass a relatively fluid plastic 45 such, for instance, as plaster-of-Paris, which flows into the indentations 42 and over the surface 25 and after being allowed to set is stripped from the mass 25, thus presenting a plurality of projections 46 corresponding in position and extent to the indentations 42 (see Figs. 10 and 11). The plastic body 45 is then removed.

To prepare the final matrix or shape 50, a plastic material, such as plaster-of-Paris, is poured over the thus formed surface of the body 45 and (see Fig. 12), after setting, is removed therefrom, the shape 50 then presenting indentations corresponding with the indentations 42 so that in finishing the shape its surface may be faired to the depth of the depressions 51.

shape, after it is finished by fairing its top surface to the depth of the depressions 42.

In Fig. 2 I show a modified form of frame 60 which may be substituted for the frame 8, the remaining parts being as shown in Fig. 1.

Here the frame 60 is comprised of uprights BI and cross bars 62, 63, 64, 65, S6. A drawingretaining plate 61 is secured to bars 64, 63. A pair of collars or brackets 68 are slidably mounted on bar.65 and each has a vertical transverse opening 69 to frictionally pass and retain one of the vertical bars 70 of a sub-frame H (see Figs. 5 and 6). The top cross member 12 of the sub-frame has a transverse opening to rotatably pass a spindle '14 having a knurled lock nut 75 (see Figs. 3 and 4). On the lefthand or inner end of the spindle there is carried a pointer "H which has in its rear face 2. Iongitudinal slot 18 which slidably carries an adjustable pin 19 having a pointed lower end and being urged longitudinally outwardly of the slot by compression spring 8i]. This auxiliary pin 79 serves as a preliminary pointer as will be hereinafter described, being employed in conjunction with an angled guide member 8| which is adapted to be manually held against the drawiii ing 35 in register with a loft line on the drawing. The upper end of spring 80 frictionally fits in the slot 78 sufiiciently to prevent its escape and the lower end of the spring may be fixed, as by welding, to the inner end of the pin 19.

The lower cross arm 83 of the sub-frame carries a depending pin 84 which slidably passes through a vertical hole 85 in a collar or bracket 86 slidably mounted on rod 66 (see Fig. '7) Collar 86 has bars 82 extending and secured to the respective collars 68. Sub-frame l! is yieldably urged upwardly by a coil spring 81.

Thus, in operation, the pin 84 may be adjusted vertically and horizontally as the pointer TI is moved to new positions of register with a loft line on the drawing 35. In operation the guide 8! is manually held against the face of the drawing 35 with its top surface in register with a loft line on the drawing. Then the sub-frame H is pushed downwardly, the auxiliary pointer 19 first being brought into contact with the top surface of the guide 8! so that the operator may have a visual and accurate guide to finally push the frame H further downwardly until the pointed end of the pin Tl contacts the top surface of the guide. Pin 84 has a lower end which is pivotally connected to the upper portion by pivot pin 88 carrying a lock nut 89. Thus the lower end of the pin may be laterally swung so that its point will be in alignment with the pointed end of pin 71 when the latter is swung laterally to register with certain contour lines on the drawing 35 when necessary to do so in order to obtain proper register.

In Fig. 3 I show a modification for the particular purpose of forming guide indentations or recesses corresponding to indentations 42 or 46, in wood, metal or other relative hard surfaces-that is, surfaces which are too hard to be readily pierced by the pointed end of the pins 39 or 84. Here the parts are as before described except that on the lower end portion of the pin 30a I mount an electric motor M whose drive shaft 99 is longitudinally bored to receive a drill 9|, the drill in this case performing the function of the pointed end of pin 38 or pin 84 before described.

In Fig. 13 I show a modification of the guide 8| suitable for use as a guide to permit an elongated groove to be out in the matrix by the pin 30 or pin 84 instead of the indentations 42 before described. Here, instead of the guide 8|, I first bend a strip of pliant metal or plastic so that its top surface is coordinate with the desired contour line 34 of the drawing 35, and the strip is then secured to the face of the drawing, as by screws 95, with its top surface in register with the contour line. The pin ll is then moved along the top surface of the guide from one end of line 34 to the other, thus causing the pointed end of pin 84- to cut or scratch in the matrix mass 25 an elongated groove.

I claim:

Apparatus for forming shapes comprising in combination with a base having thereon a movable carriage for a body capable of receiving shape forming depressions, an upright frame disposed at an angle to the base, said frame carrying a contour drawing support and spaced parallel cross bars, a guide frame slidably mounted on said bars for movement longitudinally thereof, a sub-frame frictionally carried by the guide frame for sliding movement relative thereto toward and away from said carriage, a pointer carried by the sub-frame for registering with a contour line on said drawing, a pointed member carried by the sub-frame fer penetrating a body on the carriage in response to vertical movement of the sub-frame, and spring means yieldably opposing movement of the subframe relative to the second frame in one direc tion.

DAN MARVOSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 37,650 Van Horn Feb. 10, 1863 38,720 Atwater June 2, 1878 250,239 Hansen Nov. 29, 1881 Number Number 

